Step1 is a very special school for learning Portuguese. I was lucky enough to stumble on to it through the Internet. It was actually the second school I have attended in Brazil, each for a period of 6 weeks, so I have some grounds for comparison. The success of a learning experience depends on several factors. Your own motivation, the quality of your instructors and the day-to-day living environment. Since all of us who embark on learning Portuguese in Brazil are of course motivated, it is the other factors that contribute to the degree of our success. Being a former college professor teaching has been my life. I found the teacher at Step1 enthusiastic, and intelligent. The mode of instruction is similar to having a talented friend with amazing patience working closely with you. The school itself is located in Florianópolis, a beautiful tourist and college city that is safe, clean, and modern. There really isn't any comparison between the two schools I attended – Step1 is superior in every aspect.
Charles McDonald
USA

I studied at Step1 in June and July of 2002. Florianópolis itself is beautiful and the people are warm and cheerful. The school is good and I picked up Portuguese quickly. When I got there I didn´t speak a single word, now my Portuguese is a lot better! The teachers are well trained and helpful - the rest of the staff met my expectations too.
Apparently barbecue (or churrasco as it is known here) is a big thing and every weekend I went to barbecues where people ate, drank and had a good time. I did capoeira and took dance classes in the afternoon. This extra time, interacting with Brazilians really helped. I stayed at Laura´s house and she was superb; I can’t thank her enough. Thanks a lot everybody!
John Smith
Canada

During my stay in Florianópolis I greatly enjoyed the daily challenges of the course. I took a 30 hour a week intensive course for 2 months and managed to get to a good level of coversational Portuguese that I am quite satisfied with. The teachers are great and have a professional approach to teaching, as well as being incredibly helpful with just about everything the student might need. I also enjoyed my music and culture classes. The course gave me a very thorough introduction to Brazilian life and language and I feel I got my money's worth.
Lars Lurksen
Denmark

Classes are very good, my teachers were really great and helped a lot, I want to thank my family too. It was more than I expected; it was a great experience.
Tomuku Mitsuda
Japan

I was lucky because I had three teachers with very different backgrounds and it helped me a lot. By the time the volunteering work I did started I was speaking a much better Portuguese. I met lots of people and helped make somebody’s life better. This experience was a life changer for me. I learn something about myself that I didn’t know existed.
Michael Kerry
USA

I heartily recommend Step1 to anyone who wishes to embark on a study of Portuguese as a second language. Especially helpful were the many techniques for making the learner begin to feel comfortable in a new language environment. The school and the community of Florianópolis were ideal for this purpose. The experience at Step1 was everything I'd hoped it would be, and I only wish I could have had more time to spend there!
Vera Goodwell
New Zealand

I studied at Step1 for 5 weeks and it was a perfect start to my stay in Brazil! Florianópolis is a nice city with many university students. I learnt a lot of Portuguese language, as well as I had a very nice time in my host family, learning much about Brazilian culture. The teachers are excellent, and I have only good memories of all the friendly staff at Step1!
Richard Malmown
Norway

When I arrived Tobias took me straight away to the host family and made sure I was OK, showed me around, took me out for a meal. It was just the start of the amazing one month I spent in Florianópolis. Everyday I learn something new about the Brazilian culture… the atmosphere is really friendly. Thanks everybody.
Sabrina Gonzales
Spain

The staff makes you feel very at home, this was very important to me since I had no knowledge of the Portuguese language. . The staff helps you in anything you need. This was my first time in Brazil and I’m glad I took this trip. I recommend Step1 to all my friends at home.
Trisha O’dowell
UK

This was my first backpacking adventure to South America, so I decided to study Portuguese for a while before I embarked in my trip around Brazil. Florianópolis was my first choice because I have a friend who’s been there and attended the Portuguese course at Step1. The course was everything he told me it would be: great teachers, friendly people everywhere in this beautiful city and best of all – no empty promises. I learned enough Portuguese to manage to travel by myself and recommend this school to anyone thinking of coming to Brazil. It was a great experience!
Andre Shirmman
Germany

I had recently gotten my MBA in London and wanted some experience traveling to South America (the only part of the world I hadn’t been to yet). It would just help me if I learn some Portuguese and since I know Spanish, it was quite easy for me to learn this musical language. People at Step1 were very friendly and helpful. I decided to write this to thank you guys for making my stay in Florianópolis full of adventure and exciting activities. I truly had some of the best moment of my life with you. Thanks a lot.
Francisco Solleno
Spain

This trip was amazing. I’m planning to spend a year in Florianópolis. Thanks for everything.
Kelly Mattews
USA

The teachers were excellent – really motivated. Very professional program. Congratulations.
Timothy John Parker
UK